"Monsieur le marquis will be terribly angry," he said; "I am sure that they are at the mayor’s office already, and are waiting for us. Messieurs, you are my witnesses that it is the horse’s fault."
"There is another cause, too," said Férulus to Mignon, "but we will not mention that."
They were within a fourth of a league of Saint-Amand, when Robineau called another halt and alighted again, crying out:
"This is really cruel! I don’t know what it means!"
"Courage, monsieur!" said Férulus: "‘Labor improbus omnia vincit!’"
"What on earth is the matter with him that he has to get out so often?" Mignon asked Férulus when Robineau was out of hearing.
"The matter with him! Why, haven’t you guessed yet? Parbleu! he has a bilis suffusio! he says it’s the effect of love. At all events, if it lasts twenty-four hours, it will put him in a very false position!"
Robineau returned, reëntered the carriage and they reached the town at last. The bridegroom inquired for his father-in-law’s chariot, and was told that for more than half an hour, the bride, her relatives, and the whole company had been waiting for him at the mayor’s office, and that they had already sent back two messengers to find out what could have become of him.
Robineau drove toward the mayor’s office, lashing his horse and crying:
"What will they say to me? perhaps monsieur le marquis feels insulted! And my bride! suppose that she should be angry with me! fortunately my friends are with her."